Justin Amash declines to run for Michigan U.S. Senate seat

Sep. 18, 2013

Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., comments about the vote on the defense spending bill and his failed amendment that would have cut funding to the National Security Agency's program that collects the phone records of U.S. citizens and residents, at the Capitol, Wednesday, July 24, 2013. / Associated Press

Written by

Detroit Free Press Washington Staff

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, a rising star in national libertarian circles who was looking at entering the Republican field to replace Democratic U.S. Sen. Carl Levin next year, won’t be running, apparently.

Last night, after the National Journal cited unnamed sources close to Amash as saying he would not enter the race, the Cascade Township Republican tweeted a link to the story and said he loves his district and was excited about the work he is doing in the U.S. House.

Amash was widely thought to be considering a race for the seat at around the time Levin announced in March he would not run for a seventh 6-year term next year.

Even though he is only in his second 2-year term as a member of the House, Amash, 33, has made a name for himself in Washington, bucking Republican leaders in the House and championing efforts to restrain the National Security Agency’s surveillance methods and block any move toward a military response to Syrian chemical weapons attacks.

But a statewide run would have been a tall order -- or at least there were polls indicating that could be the case. A poll released by Public Policy Polling in June showed that 70% of respondents were unsure whether to give him a favorable or unfavorable rating, a potential indicator of a lack of statewide name recognition.

Even Amash had acknowledged that any fight could be a tough one. He was quoted by Politico in Washington as telling Republican picnic-goers in Michigan that, “This is a Democratic state, still, and for a Republican to win a Senate race, you have to have a very good year for Republicans.”

His departure from the race benefits the only well-known Republican who has entered the field -- former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land. A recent poll by EPIC-MRA in Lansing had her in a virtual tie with U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, who is the only high-profile Democrat to enter the race.